Wintering-case for beehives.



No. 692,784, Patented Feb. 4, I902.

M. HEMPLE. WINTEBING BASE FOR BEEHIV ES.

(Application filed May 11, 1901.)

(I0 Model.)

'YHE NORRIS PETERS co, PHOTG-LITNO., msumcmw. u r

UNITED STATES PATENT QFEICE.

MENZO HEMPLE, OF- BLOOMINGTON, WVISQONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO VVAL'IER Rf HEMPLE, OF BLOOMINGTON, WISCONSIN.

WlNTERlNG-CASE FOR BEEHIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 692,784, dated February l, 1902.

Application filed May 11, 1901. Serial No. 59,837. (No model.)

To all whom/it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MENZO HEMPLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomington, in the county of Grant and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Wintering-Case for Beehives,of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in wintering-cases for beehives. The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of wintering-cases for beehives and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient one adapted to keep the bees dry and warm in winter and capable of affording free access to the brood-chamber.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction which will enable the entrance to the hive to be located a considerable distance from the entrance-opening of the case to darken the former, and thereby prevent the sun in winter from enticing the bees to leave the hive. V

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a series of wintering-cases. a longitudinal sectional view of a winteringcase, the packing or filling being omitted to illustrate the construction more clearly. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the tapering bee-escape.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a rectangular case constructed of wood and provided with a removable cover 2 and adapted to receive a hive 3, preferably only the lower portion or brood chamber thereof, and the said brood-chamber is provided with a temporary covering 4, of heavy fabric or any other suitable material. The

temporary covering 4 is designed to be arranged directly above the brood-frames, (not shown,) and the hive is supported upon a pair of longitudinal bars 5, disposed horizontally and secured at their ends to transverse cleats 6 and 7, arranged at the front and rear walls of the case.

Fig. 2 is The hive is spaced from the front wall of the case by a transverse bar 8, supported by the longitudinal bars and arranged in advance of the ledge or alighting-board 9 of the hive, and it is of the same thickness as the ledge 9 to present a smooth horizontal surface from the opening 10 of the case to the entranceopening 11 of the hive. The ledge 9 and the transverse bar or piece 10 support a tapering bee-escape 12, extending from the hive to the front wall of the case and affording a passage for the bees. The tapering bee-escape, which gradually decreases in width toward its front or outer ends, consists of a top board and side cleats secured to the lower face of the board at the side edges thereof. The tapering beeescape, which is removable, enables the hive to be placed a considerable distance from the front wall of the case, which is provided with a suitable ledge or alighting-strip 13. The hive is retained in position on the longitudinal bars by a rear transverse bar 14, secured to the upper faces of the bars 5 and arranged at the back of the hive.

The case is provided at opposite sides with bars 15, projecting in advance and in rear of the case and forming handles for enabling the same to be readily carried. 1 The cases are designedto be arranged on a suitable support, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, in the same manner as hives.

In placing a hive in the case the latter is partially filled with sawdust, shavings, or other suitable material. This material is spread over the bottom of the case to the level of the upper faces of the longitudinal bars. The hive is then placed in position, together with the bee-escape and the transverse bar 14. The entire space around the hive is then filled wit-h sawdust, shavings, or other suitable material which will keep the hive perfectly dry and Warm. The cover of the case is provided with a suitable flange, preferably formed by strips or bars,as indicated in Fig. 2.

It will be seen that the case is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to keep ahive dry and warm, and that it will permit the bees to enter and leave the hive. The bee-escape will enable the hive to set back sufficiently from the front wall of the case to prevent the sunlight from entering it. The case will in a great measure exclude moths, and it will also to a great extent prevent robbery by the bees of other hives.

What I claim is 1. A device of the class described comprising a case, designed to be filled with a suitable packing, the longitudinal supportingbars, a hive arranged upon the supportingbars and provided near the front ends of the same with a ledge, the transverse spacing-bar interposed between the ledge of the hive and. the front of the case, and the tapering bee escape removably supported upon the ledge and upon the spacing-bar, substantially as described.

2. A device of the class described comprising a case provided at its front with an open- MENZO I-IEMPLE.

lVitnesses:

WALTER HEMPLE, Jonzv WILGOX. 

